National Statistics Annual Report 2004–05

Planning Inspectorate Annual Report and Accounts 2004–05

Means-Testing Arrangements for New Maintenance Grant and Student Loan Rates 2006–07

Bill Rammell: Following the outcome of our financial modelling, I am now able to confirm household income thresholds for the new maintenance grant, which is to be introduced to help low income students enter and continue in higher education from 2006–07. Those students with household income of £17,500 or less will receive the full £2,700 maintenance grant. Students with household income between £17,501 up to £37,425 will receive a partial grant. We therefore anticipate that around 30 per cent. of new, full-time students will qualify for the full £2,700 grant, with 50–55 per cent. qualifying for a full or partial grant in 2006–07. Furthermore, the element of the new grant which is to be paid in substitution for the maintenance loan has now been set at £1,200.
	I can also confirm that student loan rates in the 2006–07 academic year will be as follows:
	Full year rates:
	Students living at home: £3,415
	Students living away from home, in London: £6,170
	Students living away from home, outside London: £4,405
	Final year rates:
	Students living at home: £3,085
	Students living away from home, in London: £5,620
	Students living away from home, outside London: £4,080
	This honours the commitment on loan rates made to the House by my right hon. Friend, the member for Norwich South, in his statement of 8 January 2004.
	These arrangements will be enacted in Regulations which are expected to be laid before Parliament in January.

DEFRA Laboratory Strategy

Veterinary Medicines Directorate Annual Report

Elliot Morley: I am pleased to place copies of the reports by the Environment Agency and that collated by the Government Office for the north-west in the Library of the House.
	I welcome these reports on how the flooding in Carlisle and across the north of the country in January was handled. I hope that they will provide people in Carlisle in particular with a picture of how local services coped and the lessons they have taken away.
	A major storm produced exceptional amounts of rain over a 36 hour period, leading to overtopping of defences and flooding of some 3,000 properties. Two lives were lost and many residents were evacuated. I had the opportunity to see for myself the floods' devastating effects.
	These reports show how flooding came from both the rivers and from surface water routes. This combination can result from very heavy, localised rain falling over short periods of time—it was also a feature of recent flooding in North Yorkshire. In our new strategy for flood risk management, "Making Space for Water", we have announced our intention to undertake some integrated urban drainage pilots to investigate how these complex issues can be better managed in the future.
	The conditions as experienced in January also make the provision of timely warnings extremely difficult, for example in some parts of Carlisle where flooding from surface water sources preceded overtopping of the river defences. Nevertheless, the Environment Agency is reviewing with other bodies involved what improvements can be made to warning systems.
	For our part we are taking forward the recommendations in these reports on strengthening resilience to flooding events through improved cross government and agency co-ordination under a new flood emergencies capability programme, which will look at the key issues that local responders have identified as needing further attention. The reports identify a number of areas where the local emergency services and other responders can themselves build on the experiences of January this year and it is important that we should take on these lessons more widely, so building our overall capability for managing flood emergencies in the future.
	It is also important that all services, utilities, business and householders who are at risk should do what they can to strengthen their resilience to flooding, especially as we are likely to see a greater frequency of such events in future years given the expected impact of climate change.
	In addition, the Environment Agency has already announced plans to promote a flood defence scheme for Carlisle. The agency has revised the plans it had in mind before the flooding occurred in the light of the events of January, and start of work on the new defences is scheduled for spring 2006.

Police Ombudsman (Annual Report 2004–05)

Performance Targets: Health and Social Services Estate Agency (Health Estates) 2005–06

HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate Annual Report

Coming of Age: Consultation on Draft Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006

Meeting of Employment and Social Policy Ministers 7–8 July, Belfast

James Plaskitt: On 7 and 8 July, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions hosted a meeting of EU employment and social policy Ministers in Belfast, to discuss how member states might raise employment levels and improve social inclusion. The event, which launched our six-month presidency of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs (ESPHCA) Council, used a mix of workshops, plenary sessions and visits to promote exchange of ideas and sharing of best practice.
	My right hon. Friend stressed how Ministers, in the context of demographic change, had a shared interest in raising employment rates and improving social inclusion. This formed part of the wider debate on how to modernise the European social model. Ministers and the commissioner welcomed the opportunity to share best practice.
	Ministers visited one of two sites in socially disadvantaged parts of Belfast: a jobs and benefits centre on the Shankill Road and the Springvale training centre. Ministers learnt about the practical steps the UK was taking to tackle the problems of unemployment and social exclusion. Ministers attended one of three parallel workshops looking at practical measures to raise employment levels and improve social inclusion for a particular target group: young people, older workers and the economically inactive.
	In the workshop and plenary discussions there was general agreement on foundations of the European social model and with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's view that the social model needed to be modernised. There was also agreement about the importance of Ministers getting together to share best practice and committing to action at the European level.
	As is customary, the meeting of Ministers was preceded on 7 July by a meeting between the Council Troika (Ministers from the current and next two presidencies, Austria and Finland), the social partners, the Commission and the European Parliament, which discussed the same theme. I deputised for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State as chair at those discussions, which also voiced broad support for the Prime Minister's wish to modernise the European social model.

The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council Report on Asbestos Related Diseases

Margaret Hodge: The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council report (Cm 6553) has been published. After careful consideration I have accepted all the recommendations. Amending legislation will be laid before Parliament.
	In brief the changes are as follows. In the case of Prescribed Disease D8 primary carcinoma of the lung the following easements are introduced:
	Prescribed Disease D8 is extended to include lung cancer where no asbestosis is present but where there is evidence of substantial occupational exposure and the requirement to demonstrate pleural thickening is removed. Where the disease is diagnosed and the occupational criteria are met claims will be paid at 100 per cent. from the outset;
	the diagnosis of diffuse pleural thickening for Prescribed Disease D9 is modified to make diagnosis easier.
	The report has been placed in the Library, and copies are available to honourable Members from the Vote office.